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Simpsons writer Don Payne, Wilmington native, dies

Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 9:45 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 5:13 p.m.

Don Payne, the 1982 New Hanover High School graduate who made a career in Hollywood as a screenwriter, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 48.

Payne won four Emmy Awards and received six Writer's Guild Award nominations for his work as writer/producer on “The Simpsons.” Payne was also the screenplay writer for “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” and “Thor,” and he wrote drafts for the movies “Thor: The Dark World” and “Maximum Ride,” which have yet to be released. Some of his “Simpsons” episodes have yet to air, including this year's Christmas show.

In a statement, “Simpsons” executive producer Al Jean said, “Don was a wonderful writer and an even more wonderful man. He was beloved in the ‘Simpsons' community and his untimely passing is terrible news to us all.”

John Frink, who formed a writing team with Payne for much of their careers, said that Payne had been battling bone cancer for several years. Payne is survived by his wife, Julie, and three children, Nathaniel, 14; Joshua, 11; and Lila, 5.

In Wilmington

Payne didn't grow up in Wilmington, but he spent his high school years here. He and Todd Weeks met the summer before high school, when they performed in a children's play.

“He was a spider plant, and I was peat moss,” Weeks said.

Or maybe it was the other way around, he's not sure. Regardless, they became fast friends, performing children's theater together and dreaming of careers on stage or in film.

When Weeks turned 16, Payne gave him a gift certificate for his birthday. It was good for “One starring role in a movie that I direct.”

Weeks kept that certificate for decades, believing all along that Payne would fulfill his dream of making movies in Hollywood.

They performed together throughout high school, working closely with the late Donn Ansell in the school's production of “Godspell,” which has become something of a legendary show in Wilmington theater circles.

Weeks described Payne as a “shy, writer type,” but said that he could always “sense a volcano underneath.” Payne was senior class president and editor of the school yearbook.

Weeks and Payne started college together at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before parting ways to seek show business careers – Payne in California and Weeks in New York.

Payne transferred from Chapel Hill to the University of California at Los Angeles, where he earned a B.A. in film and television and his MFA in screenwriting.

Writing team

During college, Payne met Frink, who taught at UCLA. After Payne graduated, Frink hired him and they developed a friendship and working relationship. During their downtime at UCLA, Frink said, they worked on scripts. Payne wanted to pursue feature films, but Frink had contacts in television. So they worked together on sit-coms, including “Hope & Gloria,” “Men Behaving Badly” and “The Brian Benben Show.”

In 1998, they landed a job they both coveted. They won their first Emmy Award in 2000. Payne received the Writers Guild of America's Paul Selvin Award in 2005 for “The Simpsons” episode, “Fraudcast News.”

By agreement, Frink's name always came first when they wrote for TV. If they had written features together, Payne's name would have come first.

Even when they were writing great episodes, they had disagreements.

“Sometimes people think that writing teams get along all the time,” Frink said. “When we were onto something good, we'd always fight about it.”

At the end of the day, they'd huff and puff and drive away mad. By the next morning, they were both apologetic and willing to compromise.

Eventually, they asked Fox executives to let them work separately. Frink said they figured that since they were being paid as a team that they could double their money. The plan didn't work out exactly as designed, but they continued to write for “The Simpsons.”

Superheroes

Payne loved being able to bring “Thor” to the big screen, for audiences worldwide and for his own children.

“He was able to share that enthusiasm for comic books and superheroes with them,” Weeks said. “Don loved his kids so much.”

Those involved in the production of “The Simpsons” and “Thor” expressed their feelings on Twitter on Wednesday.

Actress Kat Dennings, who played Darcy Lewis in “Thor” and the upcoming sequel “Thor: The Dark World” tweeted her thoughts: “a wonderful, beautiful man. … I am lucky to have known you. You are so missed.”

Even after Payne realized his dream of writing screenplays, he continued to work for “The Simpsons” two days a week, Frink said.

Payne received a star on the Wilmington Walk of Fame in 2005. He included references to Wilmington in at least one “Simpsons” episode, in which Homer refers to his high school classmates as “Wildcats.” Payne did not attend his 30-year reunion at New Hanover, but he and Weeks did submit a video to be played for his classmates.

Denise Bass Daughtry, a Wilmington resident and a classmate of Payne's, said Payne called her from California in the 1990s, asking to borrow Crayons, a puppet that was used in the school's production of “Godspell.” She kept asking Payne when Crayons would return home.

Crayons was enjoying life on the West Coast and auditioning for roles, he'd tell her. And the joke played out for nearly two decades.

A few years ago, Daughtry got a package in the mail. Crayons was tired of life in L.A. and was ready to come home.

“That puppet sits on my dresser to this day, but has never meant so much to me as it does in this moment,” Daughtry said. “He gave Crayons life and stories. He was a true writer to the end.”

<p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9960"><b>Don Payne</b></a>, the 1982 New Hanover High School graduate who made a career in Hollywood as a screenwriter, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 48.</p><p>Payne won four Emmy Awards and received six Writer's Guild Award nominations for his work as writer/producer on “The Simpsons.” Payne was also the screenplay writer for “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” and “Thor,” and he wrote drafts for the movies “Thor: The Dark World” and “Maximum Ride,” which have yet to be released. Some of his “Simpsons” episodes have yet to air, including this year's <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/holidays02"><b>Christmas</b></a> show.</p><p>In a statement, “Simpsons” executive producer Al Jean said, “Don was a wonderful writer and an even more wonderful man. He was beloved in the 'Simpsons' community and his untimely passing is terrible news to us all.”</p><p>John Frink, who formed a writing team with Payne for much of their careers, said that Payne had been battling bone cancer for several years. Payne is survived by his wife, Julie, and three children, Nathaniel, 14; Joshua, 11; and Lila, 5.</p><h3>In Wilmington</h3>
<p>Payne didn't grow up in Wilmington, but he spent his high school years here. He and Todd Weeks met the summer before high school, when they performed in a children's play.</p><p>“He was a spider plant, and I was peat moss,” Weeks said. </p><p>Or maybe it was the other way around, he's not sure. Regardless, they became fast friends, performing children's theater together and dreaming of careers on stage or in film. </p><p>When Weeks turned 16, Payne gave him a gift certificate for his birthday. It was good for “One starring role in a movie that I direct.”</p><p>Weeks kept that certificate for decades, believing all along that Payne would fulfill his dream of making movies in Hollywood.</p><p>They performed together throughout high school, working closely with the late Donn Ansell in the school's production of “Godspell,” which has become something of a legendary show in Wilmington theater circles.</p><p>Weeks described Payne as a “shy, writer type,” but said that he could always “sense a volcano underneath.” Payne was senior class president and editor of the school yearbook.</p><p>Weeks and Payne started college together at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before parting ways to seek show business careers – Payne in California and Weeks in New York.</p><p>Payne transferred from Chapel Hill to the University of California at Los Angeles, where he earned a B.A. in film and television and his MFA in screenwriting.</p><h3>Writing team</h3>
<p>During college, Payne met Frink, who taught at UCLA. After Payne graduated, Frink hired him and they developed a friendship and working relationship. During their downtime at UCLA, Frink said, they worked on scripts. Payne wanted to pursue feature films, but Frink had contacts in television. So they worked together on sit-coms, including “Hope & Gloria,” “Men Behaving Badly” and “The Brian Benben Show.” </p><p>In 1998, they landed a job they both coveted. They won their first Emmy Award in 2000. Payne received the Writers Guild of America's Paul Selvin Award in 2005 for “The Simpsons” episode, “Fraudcast News.”</p><p>By agreement, Frink's name always came first when they wrote for TV. If they had written features together, Payne's name would have come first. </p><p>Even when they were writing great episodes, they had disagreements.</p><p>“Sometimes people think that writing teams get along all the time,” Frink said. “When we were onto something good, we'd always fight about it.”</p><p>At the end of the day, they'd huff and puff and drive away mad. By the next morning, they were both apologetic and willing to compromise.</p><p>Eventually, they asked Fox executives to let them work separately. Frink said they figured that since they were being paid as a team that they could double their money. The plan didn't work out exactly as designed, but they continued to write for “The Simpsons.”</p><h3>Superheroes</h3>
<p>Payne loved being able to bring “Thor” to the big screen, for audiences worldwide and for his own children.</p><p>“He was able to share that enthusiasm for comic books and superheroes with them,” Weeks said. “Don loved his kids so much.”</p><p>Those involved in the production of “The Simpsons” and “Thor” expressed their feelings on <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a> on Wednesday.</p><p>Actress Kat Dennings, who played Darcy Lewis in “Thor” and the upcoming sequel “Thor: The Dark World” tweeted her thoughts: “a wonderful, beautiful man. … I am lucky to have known you. You are so missed.”</p><p>Even after Payne realized his dream of writing screenplays, he continued to work for “The Simpsons” two days a week, Frink said. </p><p>Payne received a star on the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic29"><b>Wilmington Walk of Fame</b></a> in 2005. He included references to Wilmington in at least one “Simpsons” episode, in which Homer refers to his high school classmates as “Wildcats.” Payne did not attend his 30-year reunion at New Hanover, but he and Weeks did submit a video to be played for his classmates.</p><p>Denise Bass Daughtry, a Wilmington resident and a classmate of Payne's, said Payne called her from California in the 1990s, asking to borrow Crayons, a puppet that was used in the school's production of “Godspell.” She kept asking Payne when Crayons would return home. </p><p>Crayons was enjoying life on the West Coast and auditioning for roles, he'd tell her. And the joke played out for nearly two decades. </p><p>A few years ago, Daughtry got a package in the mail. Crayons was tired of life in L.A. and was ready to come home. </p><p>“That puppet sits on my dresser to this day, but has never meant so much to me as it does in this moment,” Daughtry said. “He gave Crayons life and stories. He was a true writer to the end.”</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic87"><b>Mike Voorheis</b></a>: 343-2205</p><p>Share your memories of <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9960"><b>Don Payne</b></a> with us in the comments below. Or contact <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic87"><b>Mike Voorheis</b></a> at mike.voorheis@starnewsonline.com.</p>